---
title: 'Thermal Protection System (TPS) Manufacturing Engineer at Varda Space Industries'
canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/thermal-protection-system-tps-manufacturing-engineer-varda-space-industries-el-5amsb8hayt0j'
type: 'job'
last_seen: '2026-09-09'
---

# Thermal Protection System (TPS) Manufacturing Engineer at Varda Space Industries

- **Company:** Varda Space Industries
- **Location:** El Segundo California, United States
- **Posted:** 2026-09-09
- **Last confirmed live:** 2026-09-09
- **Apply:** https://job-boards.greenhouse.io/vardaspace/jobs/7989663003

## Job description

## About Varda

Low Earth orbit is open for business. Varda is accelerating the development of commercial space infrastructure, from in-orbit pharmaceutical processing to reliable and economical reentry capsules. Varda’s W-Series vehicles are built, designed, and operated by Varda in-house, including the pharmaceutical processing payloads, the capsules, the C-PICA heat shields, and the satellite buses.

From life-saving pharmaceuticals to more powerful fiber optics, there is a world of products used on Earth today that can only be manufactured in space. Varda is accelerating innovation in the orbital economy by creating both the products and infrastructure needed so space can directly benefit life on Earth. Our mission is to expand the economic bounds of humankind.

Our team is uniquely suited to accomplishing this goal, with leadership and staff comprised of veterans from SpaceX, Blue Origin, major pharmaceutical companies and Silicon Valley. Varda was founded in January 2021 by Will Bruey and Delian Asparouhov with significant backing from world class investors including Khosla Ventures, Lux Capital, Founders Fund, Caffeinated Capital, General Catalyst, and Also Capital.

Varda is headquartered in El Segundo, California, where we have offices and a production facility where our vehicles, equipment, and materials are built, integrated, and tested. Varda also has offices in Washington, DC and Huntsville, AL.

Join Varda, and work to create a bustling in-space ecosystem.

## About This Role

As a Thermal Protection System (TPS) Manufacturing Engineer at Varda, you will own the manufacturing processes for the ablative and insulative materials that protect our reentry capsules during the most demanding phase of the mission- reentry. TPS manufacturing is one of the most technically specialized disciplines in aerospace, requiring deep expertise in ablative material processing, bonding, tiling, and surface preparation. You will develop and maintain the processes that ensure every capsule's heatshield is built to survive reentry conditions, working at the frontier of materials science and production engineering. This is a rare opportunity to own a critical, high-visibility manufacturing domain at a company that is already demonstrating reentry capability on orbit. This role is open at the L2 and Senior level, with levels determined based on candidate experience.

## Responsibilities

- Own manufacturing processes for thermal protection system production: ablative tile/panel preparation, bonding, densification, and closeout operations
- Develop and maintain detailed work instructions, process travelers, and process specifications for all TPS fabrication and installation operations
- Implement surface preparation, adhesive application, and cure cycle procedures that meet TPS bond strength and thermal performance requirements
- Collaborate with TPS design engineers to provide DFM feedback on tile geometry, bond joint design, and tooling access for installation
- Define inspection and verification methods for TPS bonds, surface finish, and dimensional conformance; integrate quality gates into production workflows
- Lead root cause analysis and corrective actions for TPS non-conformances, including bond voids, tile cracking, and surface contamination findings
- Develop and control environmental conditioning requirements (temperature, humidity) for TPS materials storage and processing areas
- Assess and procure TPS-specific tooling: bonding fixtures, tile templates, surface preparation tooling, and handling equipment

## Basic Qualifications

- B.S. in Materials Science, Mechanical, Aerospace, Chemical, or Manufacturing Engineering, or a related discipline, with consideration given to equivalent professional experience (typically 3–6+ years)
- 3+ years of manufacturing experience with thermal protection systems, composite materials, or advanced material bonding in aerospace or defense
- Hands-on experience with ablative or reusable TPS materials: PICA, AVCOAT, SLA-561, cork composites, ceramic tiles, or equivalent
- Experience with adhesive bonding processes, surface preparation methods, and cure cycle control for structural or TPS bonds
- Ability to read and interpret engineering drawings and TPS assembly models; familiarity with GD&T as applied to complex surface geometries
- Experience writing and maintaining manufacturing process documentation for specialized materials operations
- Must be physically able to regularly lift 25 lbs., bend, stoop, and stand for extended periods while working directly with hardware

## Preferred Skills and Experience

- Direct experience manufacturing TPS for reentry vehicles, hypersonic glide vehicles, or planetary entry capsules
- Familiarity with TPS inspection methods: visual inspection, tap testing, NDE methods applicable to bonded ceramic or ablative tiles
- Knowledge of TPS material properties — ablation rates, density gradients, outgassing behavior — and their manufacturing implications
- Experience with environmental controls and material handling requirements for moisture-sensitive TPS materials
- Background in transitioning TPS manufacturing from bespoke development builds to repeatable, documented production processes
- Experience with robotic or semi-automated TPS tile application processes is a strong plus
- Familiarity with reentry thermal analysis and how TPS design margins translate into manufacturing quality requirements
- Prior work at a company with demonstrated reentry or hypersonic vehicle flight heritage

Pay Range

- Salary Range:
- Eng II: $119,543-$152,749
- Senior: $140,333-$179,314
- This role is on-site in El Segundo, CA
- Leveling and base salary is determined by job-related skills, education level, experience level, and job performance
- You will be eligible for incentives in the form of stock options and/or long-term cash awards

## Benefits

Varda offers a comprehensive benefits package designed to support health, financial well‑being, and a high‑quality workplace experience. Below is an overview of what full‑time employees receive (at this time, interns receive a subset of benefits):

Health & Wellness

- Flexible PTO policy + 12 paid holidays
- 100% company-paid Medical, Dental, and Vision insurance plans for employees and dependents with FSA and employer-matched HSA options
- Voluntary accident, hospital, critical illness, and pet insurance
- $120/month wellness reimbursement for gym and fitness expenses
- 12 weeks of parental leave (with supplemental disability leave for CA mothers)
- Family building, pregnancy, parenting and menopause benefits via Maven Clinic
- Sponsored One Medical memberships for employees and their dependents

Financial & Retirement

- Substantial incentive equity in a fully funded space start-up
- 401(k) retirement plan with 6% employer match (immediately vested)
- $20/pay period cell phone reimbursement
- Relocation support for new hires, if needed

Workplace Experience & Perks

- Fully stocked kitchen with lunch provided daily and dinner provided twice weekly
- Company and team-bonding events, happy hours and mission-success celebrations
- Complimentary EV charging

ITAR Requirements

Varda, like all employers, must ensure that its employees working in the United States are lawfully authorized to work in the U.S. Additionally, our employees are exposed to and have access to certain export-controlled items. Because our employees are provided access to export-controlled items, our policy is to only hire “U.S. persons” who are permitted to have access to our technology without an export license.

“US person” means: U.S. citizen, U.S. lawful permanent resident, or protected individual as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3) (i.e., individual admitted to the U.S. as a refugee or granted asylum).

E-Verify Statement

Varda Space Industries, Inc. participates in the U.S. Department of Homeland Security E-Verify program. The E-Verify program is an Internet-based employment eligibility verification system operated by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Learn more about the [E-Verify](https://nam10.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.e-verify.gov%2Femployees%2Fe-verify-overview&data=05%7C01%7Ctyree%40varda.com%7C22201ef47a8142f3b0a708dbd0f6e47b%7C1b36161382e94a8784f78a213228882f%7C0%7C0%7C638333531041144158%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=3toCq47V%2FiQtV%2B5rEKFG0tfg0yXkNTv4SuLE2Xy40Rk%3D&reserved=0) program.

E-Verify Notice                                                               Right To Work Notice

Read more                                                                             Read more

Varda Space Industries is an Equal Opportunity Employer.  We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. Candidates and employees are always evaluated based on merit, qualifications, and performance. We will never discriminate on the basis of race, color, gender, national origin, ethnicity, veteran status, disability status, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, martial status, mental or physical disability, or any other legally protected status.

## About Varda Space Industries

## Company Overview
- **One-liner**: Varda Space Industries is building the first commercial orbital manufacturing and reentry infrastructure to produce materials in microgravity and return them to Earth for terrestrial benefit.
- **Entity Type**: Private (backed by major venture capital)
- **Headquarters**: El Segundo, California, USA (with an additional office in Washington, D.C.)
- **Founded**: January 2021
- **Founders**: Will Bruey and Delian Asparouhov

## Core Business
- **Primary industries**: Space infrastructure, biopharmaceutical manufacturing, microgravity research, government/defense
- **Target customers**: Biopharma companies (for drug development), government agencies (for hypersonic flight testing and research), academic and commercial microgravity researchers
- **Mission**: Expand the economic bounds of humankind by creating products and infrastructure so space can directly benefit life on Earth

## Products & Services
- **W-Series Spacecraft (W-1 through W-6)**: A free-flying orbital production satellite with integrated reentry capsule. Varda builds the entire spacecraft end-to-end in its El Segundo facility. The capsule reenters Earth’s atmosphere at Mach 25, lands via parachute, and is recovered with its payload for post-flight analysis. Missions serve pharmaceutical processing (heating, mixing, cooling in microgravity), government payloads, and autonomous hypersonic flight testing.
- **Orbital Pharmaceutical Processing Platform**: Purpose-built equipment that operates in orbit to produce novel crystal structures and formulations that are impossible to create on Earth.

## Market Standing
- **Valuation / Market Cap**: Not publicly disclosed
- **Key Metric**: Total funding not publicly disclosed, but the company has “significant backing” from world-class investors. A recent milestone is a research collaboration with United Therapeutics to advance microgravity-enabled treatments for rare pulmonary disease (announced via PRNewswire, 2025/2026).
- **Notable Investors / Partners**: Khosla Ventures, Lux Capital, Founders Fund, Caffeinated Capital, General Catalyst, Also Capital; collaboration with United Therapeutics
- **Growth Signals**: Six missions (W-1 through W-6) launched or announced; W-6 is the first launch of 2026; vehicle and heatshield built in-house; expanding workforce with ~94 open positions as of mid-2026

## Competitive Advantages
- **End-to-end ownership**: Varda designs, builds, integrates, and tests all vehicles and equipment in-house, enabling rapid iteration and high flight cadence.
- **First commercial reentry capability**: The W-Series is the first-ever commercial satellite and reentry vehicle built specifically for returning materials from orbit, completing the logistics chain from launch to recovery.
- **Experienced team**: Leadership and staff include veterans from SpaceX, Blue Origin, major pharmaceutical companies, and Silicon Valley.
- **Hypersonic flight heritage**: The capsule reenters at over 18,000 mph (Mach 25), providing a unique testbed for hypersonic and reentry technologies.

## Strategic Focus
- **Scale orbital manufacturing**: Increase flight frequency and payload capacity to serve biopharma and government customers at commercial scale.
- **Deepen partnerships**: Expand collaborations with pharmaceutical companies (e.g., United Therapeutics) and government agencies for microgravity R&D and hypersonic testing.
- **Build infrastructure for the orbital economy**: Make reentry as common as launch, enabling a steady supply chain from space to Earth.

## Why Work Here
- **Culture**: Varda describes itself as “bold,” “down to earth,” and “ambitious.” Employees work on unsolved problems across multiple fields, requiring confidence to forge new paths when there isn’t a known correct answer.
- **Work environment**: On-site roles at the El Segundo office and production facility. The team values technical rigor and a healthy dose of acumen, with conversations spanning polypeptide crystallization and ablation dynamics of thermal protection systems.
- **Benefits**: Competitive salaries, company equity, comprehensive benefits, catered meals. The company is an equal opportunity employer and seeks diverse backgrounds.
- **Growth opportunity**: With 94 current job openings (many in engineering, software, propulsion, payloads, and internships), Varda is actively scaling and offers the chance to build “the first industrial park off our home planet.”

## Sources
1. [varda.com/company](https://www.varda.com/company)
2. [varda.com/](https://www.varda.com/)
3. [varda.com/careers](https://www.varda.com/careers)
4. [job-boards.greenhouse.io/vardaspace](http://job-boards.greenhouse.io/vardaspace)
5. [varda.com/platform](https://www.varda.com/platform)
6. [PRNewswire – Varda & United Therapeutics collaboration](https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/varda-space-industries-and-united-therapeutics-collaborate-to-advance-microgravity-enabled-treatments-for-rare-pulmonary-disease-302770786.html)

## Other roles at Varda Space Industries

- [Senior Technical Recruiter](https://feeny.ai/job/senior-technical-recruiter-varda-space-industries-el-segundo-california-18nzc14tgavs) — El Segundo California, United States
- [Mission Assurance Engineer II - Build Reliability](https://feeny.ai/job/mission-assurance-engineer-ii-build-reliability-varda-space-industries-el-yvcv772xfttg) — El Segundo California, United States
- [Senior Space Mission Operations Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/senior-space-mission-operations-engineer-varda-space-industries-el-segundo-c8knb4ynqmyc) — El Segundo California, United States
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- [Senior Space Embedded Software Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/senior-space-embedded-software-engineer-varda-space-industries-el-segundo-j5fjgg0yb4rr) — El Segundo California, United States